PH questions

[FishWife]

These are kind of newbie questions; first some background:

 

Our pH was around 8.0 steadily (via pH monitor info) before we dismantled it. We were running lights on a sump on reverse photosynthesis theory. We were also running a calcium reactor then... We broke down that tank and set up our holding tanks for temp. use and the pH is down to around 7.5-8 during the day (info from said probe, which needs to stay wet) using the same water, but obviously not a complete system, and no calc reactor inline.

 

Here are my questions.

 

1. What do we use to RAISE pH, generally speaking? We've never figured that out.

 

2. What does pH do?

 

3. How much does pH matter to corals? And, is there a difference in it mattering to SPS, LPS, or softies?

 

4. How much does it matter to my BTA?

 

Happy New Year to everyone who sees this, and TIA for responses!

[Nitro Junkie]

While I cant provide any intellegent input here is what i have been reading, this link is to the online reef keeping magazine past issues (you can look at other topics as well) but this link is to the chemistry portion and there is enough info there to make your brain explode I printed out a ton of it and keep it in a binder to read/highlight etc.....

 

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/subject/chemistry.php

[dhoch]

These are kind of newbie questions; first some background:

 

Our pH was around 8.0 steadily (via pH monitor info) before we dismantled it. We were running lights on a sump on reverse photosynthesis theory. We were also running a calcium reactor then... We broke down that tank and set up our holding tanks for temp. use and the pH is down to around 7.5-8 during the day (info from said probe, which needs to stay wet) using the same water, but obviously not a complete system, and no calc reactor inline.

 

Here are my questions.

 

1. What do we use to RAISE pH, generally speaking? We've never figured that out.

 

Presence of CO2 lowers pH, absence of CO2 raise pH.... Note with your calcium reactor you are affectively adding CO2 which would lower pH.

 

In general during the day you will have higher pH (light + algae = consumption of CO2 => O2 = raising of pH)... at night you don't have the algae doing photosynthesis so no consumption of CO2 (which is always being created by fish for example) therefore pH drops.

 

Alkalinity (which was also added by the calcium reactor) acts as a buffer. A buffer makes the reaction harder to change.

 

2. What does pH do?

 

3. How much does pH matter to corals? And, is there a difference in it mattering to SPS, LPS, or softies?

 

4. How much does it matter to my BTA?

 

Happy New Year to everyone who sees this, and TIA for responses!

 

 

pH does nothing it's a measurement (it's like saying what does temperature do... it's a measurement higher and lower can have different effects, but temperature is just a measurement)...

 

Higher pH makes it easier for a calcium absorbing corals (LPS & SPS) to pull alk/calcium out of the water to make their skeletons (to a point). Lower pH it's harder. Too high a pH and too low a pH are bad for your corals (similar to temp).

 

There is more, but this is a pretty good summary.

 

Dave

[bigJPDC]

everything you'd want to know is here:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=102605

[FishWife]

You guys are great. THANKS!!! Time to go and read up while waiting for the ball to drop!

[YBeNormal]

everything you'd want to know is here:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=102605

 

Thanks JP. Buried within that link is another link to this article on using Borax to validate accuracy of pH probes Great reading and another DIY home-brew sanity check that I will be trying out very soon!